January 22, 2023
2 mins read

Taliban leader Akhundzada tightens grip on power

More than 16 months of Taliban rule under Akhundzada’s leadership has poured cold water on the hopes of Afghans and the international community for peace and stability…reports Asian Lite News

Taliban supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, has dominated decision-making as the hard-line Islamist group continues to restore many of the draconian policies it was infamous for when it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, according to reports.

And while there has been some consistent backlash within the Taliban’s ranks, Akhundzada has cemented himself as the final say in virtually all matters by micromanaging the Taliban government and decreeing policies that deprive Afghans of fundamental rights.

Few Taliban members can reach him, and even fewer Afghans have seen him. He refuses to meet foreigners, including the most distinguished religious scholars from the Muslim world, RFE/RL reported.

In his attempt to create what he sees as a “pure” Islamic system, experts say, Akhunzada has alienated Afghans and the outside world and is steering the Taliban and the country he rules down a destructive path.

Michael Semple, a former European Union and UN adviser to Afghanistan, says that resistance to Akhunzada’s uncompromising approach could unleash another destructive civil war or even spill over Afghanistan’s borders, RFE/RL reported.

But more than 16 months of Taliban rule under Akhundzada’s leadership has poured cold water on the hopes of Afghans and the international community for peace and stability.

Semple says that Akhundzada’s loyal followers want to establish their extreme vision of Islamic rule at all costs, regardless of the consequences.

“The Taliban is an armed Islamist revolutionary movement, long committed to establishing their version of an Islamic state and society by force of arms,” he said.

Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator says that following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Akhundzada kept his distance from the group’s caretaker government in Kabul by choosing to stay in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

Yousafzai says that in recent months, Akhundzada has tightened his grip on power by appointing loyalists to key government positions and has even established his own administrative secretariat in Kandahar.

“Akhundzada is running a parallel governance system from Kandahar and has gradually concentrated all the power in his hands,” Yousafzai said, adding that every ministry or governmental department now has at least one Akhundzada loyalist working for it, RFE/RL reported.

“Everyone in that ministry knows that he reports to the big boss,” Yousafzai said.

Yousafzai says that Akhundzada has surrounded himself with like-minded advisers who echo his thinking on religious and temporal matters.

In recent months, the supreme leader has also formed provincial clerical councils to supervise the Taliban administration in most provinces.

ALSO READ: China asks Taliban to ensure safety of Chinese citizens

Previous Story

China asks Taliban to ensure safety of Chinese citizens

Next Story

Fiji’s new govt reaffirms one-China policy

Latest from -Top News

Bangladesh Elections on EU Radar

EU Pre-Election Team to Visit Bangladesh in September Ahead of 13th Parliamentary Polls…reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh Election Commission’s Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced on Monday that a European Union (EU) pre-election

After Pakistan, China Backing Iran Too?

China and Iran signed a 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement that covered trade, energy and security, showcasing the strategic value that Beijing places on Tehran….reports Asian Lite News Despite its long-standing claims of

US-India ties is a slow-motion catastrophe

For the first time in two decades, Trump’s actions, statements, and coercive tone have made relations with the US a combustible domestic political issue in India, writes Manoj Menon The post-globalisation uncertainty

Modi Welcomes Marcos Jr to Delhi

PM Modi Welcomes Philippines President Marcos Jr to Strengthen India-Philippines Ties…reports Asian Lite News Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday warmly welcomed Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr at Hyderabad House in

Is Bangladesh Turning Into a Theocratic State?

The rise of radical Islamic influence under Yunus’s watch threatens to transform Bangladesh from a secular democracy into a theocratic state….writes Anna Mahjar-Barducci Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus’s transition from economist
Go toTop

Don't Miss

18 terrorists killed as security forces storm Taliban hideouts

A total of 14 anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines have also

China provides $1mn to Afghanistan after Doha meet

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that aid by China will